Reversibly-suspended flexible sheet.



No. 703,394. Patented July I, I902.

W. E. ELAM.

REVERSIBLY SUSPENDED FLEXIBLE SHEET.

(A plicatio 2.

filed Jan. 4, 190

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM ERWIN ELAM, on ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

REVERSIB LY-SUSPENDED FLEXIBLE SHEET.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 703,394, dated July1, 1902.

Application filed January 4,1902, Serial No. 88,454. (No model.)

To ctZZ whomit may concern/.-

Be it known that LWVILLIAM ERVVIN ELAM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and State of Georgia, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Reversibly-SuspendedFlexible Sheets; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to a manner of so supporting maps or otheranalogous flexible sheets' bearing on both faces matter to be inspectedthat .the sheet may be quickly reversed, whereby the matter upon eitherface i may be readily brought into position for convenient inspection.Heretofore when large wall-maps, for example, have been printed uponboth faces one of the maps has been practically of little use, becauseof the diffi culty of reversing the ,sheet, and hence the attempt tofurnish two maps occupying only the space of one and at nearly the costof one has not been successful. I obviate the difficulty by placing animprint upon both faces of the same sheet, the two imprints being backto back and relatively upside down, and by providing a bar, continuousor otherwise, around which the sheet or an extension of the same maypass belt-like, whereby if the sheet be in front of the bar one facewill be visible, while if it be passed around the bar like a belt untilit lies in the rear of the same the opposite face will be brought toview in proper position. If the bar be horizontal, the imprint or map inview will always be erect,while the one upon the opposite face will beinverted, and if the bar be vertical the map in view will be in normalposition or in position to read from left to right,while the oppositeone'will be temporarily reversed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows in front elevation a'simpleembodiment of myinvention. Fig. 2is a View looking from. the left inFig. 1. Fig. 3 shows a Fig. 4: shows a certain sheet-revers- Figs. 5, 6,7, 8, 9, 10 show different Figs. 11,12 show a modified construction.Fig. 13 shows an analogous construction where the map moveshorizontally. Fig. 14 shows as added features the use of guiding-waysfor [he map edges and a cover to protect the map when not in use. Fig.15 shows the sheet provided with marginal tapes. Figs. 16 and 17 showthe sheet provided with marginal cords moving in-guideways therefor.

In Figs. 1,2, 3, 4, A represents a flexible sheet'having an imprint of amap, for example, upon one face and having-upon the opposite face of thesameportion a relatively inverted imprintforexample, another map. 13represents a simple bar to be mounted upon a. wall or other support bybrackets O in such manner'that the sheet may pass freely around it. Thesheet is provided at its ends with bars or map-sticks D, which projectbeyond its lateral margins, the one upon the rear fold in position tostrike the brackets C and the other adapted to strike stops E, wherebythe sheet is prevented from passing entirely around the bar, and'thusbecoming accidentally detached. 'Thatface of the sheet which is next thebar may be protected from wear by small wires or cords F passing overthat face and secured in any suitable manner. The bar instead of beingof uniform cross-section may have enlarged portions G, Fig. 5, and inthis case the wires or cords are used over those portions of the sheetwhich would otherwise rest upon these enlargements. Such enlargementsmay be grooved, as at G in Fig. 6, and maybe arranged to receive onlythe marginal unprinted portions of the sheet,in which case two marginalcords only are used.

The bars of Figs. 4, 6 may have the central segment removed, as shown inFigs. 7, 8, 9, and where marginal cords are used they may beheld in'thegrooves by suitable pulleys H, Fig.9, or other devices. In any of theseforms the marginal portions of the sheetor tapes or cords formingextensions of such portions may be carried beyond the ends of the bodyof the sheet when they have been passed around the bar to reverse thesheet and bring it in the rear of such tapes or extensions. With thisarrangement I use a loose roller I, suspended in the bight of the tapes,asshown.

In Fig. 13 the map, provided with loops such as are shown in Figs. 11,12, is mounted to move horizontally around a bar J, while held taut bythe tapes which pass around a parallel bar J. With any of theconstructions the lateral margins of the map may run in guiding-groovesK, formed in plates K, Fig. 14, provided for this purpose, and aflexible coverlike that of a roll-top desk, for examplemay run insuitable grooves in the same plates.

In Fig. 15 the sheet is shown as provided with marginal tapes L, whichmay receive all or nearly all the wear incident to passing the sheetaround a reversing-bar, and in Fig. 16 it is shown as provided withflexible marginal ribs or cords M, running in Ways having the form of alongitudinally-slotted tube M.

Whenever the reversing-bar used is circular in cross-section, it may berevoluble, if desired, certain advantages being thereby gained at theexpense of slight increase in cost; but where, for example, it has thecrosssection shown in Fig. 10it is necessarily nonrevoluble.

Where the matter borne upon the sheet is a map, especially when themeridians thereof are parallel, the protecting-wires may be so placed asto serve as meridian-lines.

While the word map and the phrase map or the like are herein used todesignate the matter borne by the sheet, such terms are chosen as givingbriefly a clear idea of the invention and include any printed or othermatter which must for convenient inspection be erect or which must readfrom left to right.

Where plates with guidinggrooves are used, as they may be with any ofthe forms shown, a reversing-bar is not essentially requisite if thesheet have the proper degree of stiffness, the curved guiding-wall ofthe groove being, in effect, a short bar, similar to that shown in Fig.7.

What I claim is 1. The combination witha flexible sheet bearing uponopposite faces of the same portion relatively inverted imprints, ofmeans whereby the sheet is bent back upon itself or reversed when movedendwise, whereby either imprint may be brought to View in properposition-for inspection from the same side of the apparatus.

2. The combination with a suitable bar, of a flexible sheet adapted andarranged to pass belt-like around the bar and bearing upon one face animprint and upon the opposite face of the same portion a relativelyinverted imprint; whereby one imprint being in position for inspection,passing the sheet around the bar reverses the sheet and brings the otherimprint into like position.

3. The combination with a suitable bar, of a flexible sheet arranged topass, belt-like, around the bar and bearing relatively inverted imprintsupon its opposite faces, respectively, and wires or the likeextendedacross that face of the sheet next said bar protect ing thesheets surface from abrasion.

4. The combination with a suitable bar, of a flexible sheet arrangedtopass belt-like around the bar and bearing relativelyinverted maps uponits two faces, respectively, and a series of wires extended across thatface of the sheet next the bar and occupying the places ofmeridian-lines of the map upon that face.

5. The combination with a suitable bar, of a flexible sheet arranged topass belt-like around the bar, bearing upon opposite faces of the sameportion relatively inverted imprints, and means for preventing the sheetfrom passing in either direction the proper limit of its movement.

6. The combination with a sheet having upon one face an imprint of a mapor the like and upon the opposite face of the same portion a relativelyinverted imprint and having its ends connected by narrow marginal bandsor cords forming -closed loops, of a sheet-supporting bar located withinthe-upper bight of theloops,and abarlyingin the lower bight of theloops; whereby the sheet being in front of the plane of the bars one imprint will be visible in proper position while if the sheet and bands bemoved, belt-like,- the sheet will pass to the rear of said plane and theother imprint will become visible in erect position between the bands.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses:

F. M. NASH, E. M. .ToBsoN.

